Counting NZ’s urban-dwelling possums

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-07-24 03:00

New Zealand

PHOTO: Flickr/Greg Schechter

Researchers tracked three sites in Dunedin to get a sense how tightly packed possums might be in a city setting. According to their estimates, one forested area - Jubilee Park - had a density of around three possums per hectare. Even though this amount was low compared to more rural areas, they say this amount may be enough to harm native wildlife. Other residential areas, however, appeared to have few possums. They say their estimates confirm that cities are an important habitat for possums and their work can help with future control efforts in cities.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Journal of Ecology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Otago, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research

Funder: CRP was supported in this work by a University of Otago Master’s Research Scholarship and an Otago Council Inc Scholarship in Science. DJW received funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Strategic Science Investment Fund for Crown Research Institutes.

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